Contestants from Sudbrook Magnet Middle with teacher Vicki Coronel

Commanding the stage with her expressiveness, Reisterstown Elementary student Karimy A., recited Me X Two, about the challenges faced when attempting to learn a second language. It was a challenge to which the other contestants in Poetry Alive 2005! could relate. The competition requires student speakers of other languages to perform poems in English, and English-speaking students to recite poems in French and/or Spanish. All poems recited were published works by famous writers.

An audience of almost 200 parents, community members, and school staff gathered on April 21, 2005 for Poetry Alive 2005!, a poetry recitation competition sponsored by the Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) Office of World Languages. The event was held in the University Union at Towson University and included 110 contestants representing 23 Baltimore County schools.

“This event,” says Danea A. Farley, specialist, BCPS Office of World Languages, “is part of our celebration of 2005 as the Year of Languages – as proclaimed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, the State of Maryland, and the Baltimore County Board of Education. We hope during this year to encourage more students and community members to learn and appreciate other languages.”

All of the English-speaking students represented middle and high schools, with the exception of students from Wellwood International Elementary School. “Wellwood International is unique because it is the only elementary school in Baltimore County where French is part of the curriculum,” notes Farley. “Magnet program students from kindergarten through fifth grade learn French in a half-day immersion format, studying language arts and math; and every other student K-5 takes French FLES – Foreign Language in the Elementary School – three times per week.”

Competition judges included: Dr. Lea Ramsdell, associate professor of Spanish, Towson University; Dr. Katia Sainson, associate professor of French, Towson University; Carl G. Jackson, a former BCPS coordinator of foreign languages; Deborah Espitia, coordinator of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and foreign languages, Howard County Public Schools; Paula Simon, former BCPS coordinator of English and reading; Shelley Etzine, associate director of English Language Center at Towson University; and Alicia Vila Wich, a BCPS bilingual resource teacher.

In addition to the competition, Poetry Alive 2005! also featured students from Parkville High School reciting German poems. “Since Parkville High School is the only school where German is taught,” Farley explains, “they held their own competition earlier in April. We invited the winners of that competition to present their poems during the awards ceremony.”

Poetry Alive 2005! Winners
(Each winner’s name is followed by the name of his/her school and teacher.)

ELEMENTARY ENGLISH BEGINNER
1st Place - Miguel S., Stoneleigh (Karen Hare)
2nd Place - Jarifa J., Shady Spring (Diane Frijia)
Honorable Mention - Ahmed B., Stoneleigh (Karen Hare)

ELEMENTARY ENGLISH INTERMEDIATE
1st Place - Karimy A., Reisterstown (Sue Truesdell)
2nd Place - Yue Y., Stoneleigh (Karen Hare)
Honorable Mention - Melnard M., Stoneleigh (Karen Hare)

SECONDARY ENGLISH BEGINNER
1st Place - Dorian D., Parkville High (Janet Rohde)
2nd Place - Edwin S., Lansdowne High (Carol Hutzley) S
Honorable Mention - Ju Young L., Parkville High (Janet Rohde)

SECONDARY ENGLISH INTERMEDIATE
1st Place - Renny O., Sudbrook Magnet Midde (Amy Lambert)
2nd Place - Yevegeniy K., Owings Mills High (Barrie Smullian)
Honorable Mention - Ajay V., Parkville High (Anita Prifti)

SECONDARY ENGLISH ADVANCED
1st Place - Lyudmyla S., Sudbrook Magnet Middle (Vicki Coronel)
2nd Place - Linda J., Owings Mills High (Becky Alvarado)
Honorable Mention - Ada P., Owings Mills High (Becky Alvarado)

ELEMENTARY FRENCH GRADE 1
1st Place - Eva M., Wellwood International (Emilie Seck)
2nd Place - Allison M., Wellwood International (Emilie Seck)
Honorable Mention - Steven P., Wellwood International (Emilie Seck)

ELEMENTARY FRENCH GRADE 2
1st Place - Joseph W., Wellwood International (Kevin-Douglas Olive)
2nd Place - Antonio V., Wellwood International (Kevin-Douglas Olive)
Honorable Mention - Jasmine D., Wellwood International (Kevin-Douglas Olive)

ELEMENTARY FRENCH GRADE 3
1st Place - Ra’Meara G., Wellwood International (Florence de Lamarlière)
2nd Place - Hannah B., Wellwood International (Florence de Lamarlière)
Honorable Mention - Steven D., Wellwood International (Florence de Lamarlière)

ELEMENTARY FRENCH GRADE 4
1st Place - David L., Wellwood International (Lorien Nemec)
2nd Place - Jennifer P., Wellwood International (Lorien Nemec)
Honorable Mention - Camille C., Wellwood International (Lorien Nemec)

ELEMENTARY FRENCH GRADE 5
1st Place - Lauren O., Wellwood International (Lorien Nemec)
2nd Place - Ashley R., Wellwood International (Lorien Nemec)
Honorable Mention - Richard B., Wellwood International (Lorien Nemec)

FRENCH LEVEL I
1st Place - Nicole L., Catonsville High (Linda Mohler)
2nd Place - Kufre E., Pikesville Middle (Christan Register)
Honorable Mention - Nina K., Hereford Middle (Jennifer Jensen)

FRENCH LEVEL III
1st Place - Brandi L., Patapsco High (Heather Corasaniti)
2nd Place - Aubrey W., Catonsville High (Linda Mohler)
Honorable Mention - Mark A., Sudbrook Magnet Middle (Vivian Moorman)

FRENCH ADVANCED
1st Place - Megan H., Sudbrook Magnet Middle (Kim Shinozaki)
2nd Place - Kevin C., Sudbrook Magnet Middle (Kim Shinozaki)

FRENCH NATIVE SPEAKERS
1st Place - Ahmadou D., Sudbrook Magnet Middle (Vivian Moorman)
2nd Place - Karim D., Sudbrook Magnet Middle (Vivian Moorman)

GERMAN II
1st Place – Cara W., Parkville High (Leland Knight)
2nd Place – Sachet W., Parkville High (Leland Knight)
Honorable Mention – Jared C., Parkville High (Leland Knight)

GERMAN III
1st Place – Andrew K., Parkville High (Leland Knight)
2nd Place – Eric V., Parkville High (Leland Knight)
Honorable Mention – Matthew K., Parkville High (Leland Knight)

SPANISH LEVEL I
1st Place - Bridget L., Hereford Middle (Mina Letra)
2nd Place - Greg K., Hereford Middle (Carmen Medwin)
Honorable Mention - Avneet K., Franklin High (Robyn Taylor)

SPANISH LEVEL II
1st Place - Myah B., Sudbrook Magnet Middle (Ximena Ross-Flores)
2nd Place - Syed A., Franklin High (Carmen Franco-Valiente)
Honorable Mention - Cassie F., Franklin High (Cynthia Shelton)

SPANISH LEVEL III
1st Place - Vivian E., Franklin High (Carmen Franco-Valiente)
2nd Place - Nicole A., Catonsville High (Diane Edwards)
Honorable Mention - Tonya B., Sudbrook Magnet Middle (Aracelis Virella)

SPANISH ADVANCED
1st Place - Andrea K., Franklin High (Cynthia Woodard)
2nd Place - Sara H., Franklin High (Cynthia Woodard)
Honorable Mention - Will L., Patapsco High (Heather Corasaniti)

SPANISH NATIVE SPEAKERS
1st Place - Kelli F., Franklin High (Richard Harden)
2nd Place - Jasmine J., Patapsco High (Heather Corasaniti)
Honorable Mention - Elaine C., Sudbrook Magnet Middle (Aracelis Virella)

Story by Diana Spencer, Communications Officer